D.4. Installing Debian GNU/Linux over Parallel Line IP (PLIP)

This section explains how to install Debian GNU/Linux on a computer without an
Ethernet card, but with just a remote gateway computer attached via
a Null-Modem cable (also called Null-Printer cable). The gateway
computer should be connected to a network that has a Debian mirror
on it (e.g. to the Internet).

In the example in this appendix we will set up a PLIP connection using
a gateway connected to the Internet over a dial-up connection (ppp0).
We will use IP addresses 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.0.2 for the PLIP
interfaces on the target system and the source system respectively
(these addresses should be unused within your network address space).

D.4.3. Installing target

Boot the installation media. The installation needs to be run in
expert mode; enter expert at the boot prompt.
If you need to set parameters for kernel modules, you also need to
do this at the boot prompt. For example, to boot the installer and
set values for the “io” and “irq” options
for the parport_pc module, enter the following at the boot prompt:

expert parport_pc.io=0x378 parport_pc.irq=7

Below are the answers that should be given during various stages of
the installation.

Load installer components from CD

Select the plip-modules option from the list; this
will make the PLIP drivers available to the installation system.

Detect network hardware

If target does have a network card, a list of driver
modules for detected cards will be shown. If you want to force debian-installer to
use plip instead, you have to deselect all listed driver modules.
Obviously, if target doesn't have a network card, the installer will not
show this list.

Because no network card was detected/selected earlier, the installer will
ask you to select a network driver module from a list.
Select the plip module.

Configure the network

Auto-configure network with DHCP: No

IP address: 192.168.0.1

Point-to-point address:
192.168.0.2

Name server addresses: you can enter the same addresses used on
source (see /etc/resolv.conf)